"If it is a recovery, it's a frothy coffee kind of recovery", says author Will Self. Average incomes may have risen, but lots of people have lost out, he says. As for the cuts to come, he adds: "You ain't seen nothing yet." You can read BBC economics editor Robert Peston's take on the scale of cuts after the election here.

Image source, Reuters

Now Lib Dem Baroness Williams is explaining why her party has produced its own budget, unveiled by Danny Alexander today, complete with yellow "Liberal Democrat Budget" box. The Lib Dems do not agree that the deficit can be eliminated without tax rises.

Labour's Chuka Umunna, the shadow business secretary, says people are worse off since 2010. This claim, disputed by the Conservatives, is one of the arguments played out this afternoon in the fallout from the Budget.

We're up and running on Question Time and the first question is about yesterday's Budget. Why do people not feel better off, asks an audience member. Conservative culture secretary Sajid Javid gets in an early reference to the "long-term economic plan" and says the UK is "the jobs factory of Europe".

The Times

Philip Collins' take on the Budget is that the chancellor rowed back from further austerity post-2020 because "in a steady-as-she-goes election you do not wish to be branded an ideologue". Writing in tomorrow's Times, external, (£) Mr Collins says: "After declaring Alistair Darling's plan for deficit reduction would turn London into Athens, Mr Osborne has actually carried it out by accident." He goes on: "George Osborne has turned into a Tory man carrying out Labour measures, the best chancellor Labour doesn't have."

The BBC Radio 4 show is hosting a special edition on defence, looking at the threats to the UK and whether the country spends enough to deal with them. You can listen on the Live Coverage tab above.

Image source, PA

tweets, external: Broadcasters pile pressure on Cameron over second live election debate, external

tweets, external: Agree with POTUS about compulsory voting. Works well n Australia

BBC News School Report

Image source, BBC School Report

The political parties made one-minute party political broadcasts with leading figures aimed at young people, with the aim of sparking interest in democracy and politics. It was part of BBC News School Report's annual News Day. How did the films go down with this tough audience? BBC School Reporters from around the UK have been taking a look.

The Guardian

Image source, Reuters

In his Guardian column, external, Owen Jones argues that, despite Conservative campaigning that Labour would usher in the SNP, leading to the break up of the Union, the opposite is, in fact, the case and "the cause of Scottish independence will be best bolstered by a Tory government".

He writes: "For most Scots, Toryism is an alien and hostile political force. Scots vote time and time again to reject the Tories in great numbers, and yet get lumbered with Tory governments anyway. A vote for the Tories is a vote to dissolve Britain.

"If I were an SNP strategist, I would be praying for another five years of David Cameron, George Osborne, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Gove. Far riskier for the SNP to be potentially tainted by propping up a Labour government, or for inadvertently demonstrating that Scotland can maximise its influence within the UK."

Guido Fawkes

Guido is reporting , externalthat Ed Miliband is notable by his absence from Labour's election leaflets. The political blogger says he has trawled through the leaflets recipients have uploaded to the electionleaflets.org website, external and can find neither hide nor hair of the Labour leader, prompting Guido to ask: "Where's Mili?"

Coming up at 22:45, watch on the live coverage tab above:

The Sun

The suspension of UKIP MEP Janice Atkinson comes after an investigation by The Sun, the paper says, external.

Reality Check

Reacting to the Budget earlier today, David Cameron compared the nation's finances to Greece. The PM said: "When I first came here as prime minister five years ago Britain and Greece were virtually in the same boat - we had similar-sized budget deficits."

The BBC's Jonathan Paterson has analysed Mr Cameron's claim and writes: "It is correct to say the UK (-9.6% GDP) and Greece (-11.1% GDP) were running similar budget deficits in 2010, if measured as a percentage of overall GDP. And by 2013 (the most recent full year figures available) that the gulf had significantly widened with the UK now recording -5.8% GDP and Greece at -12.2% of GDP. However latest quarterly figures for 2014 suggest Greece is already making more progress than the UK in reducing its deficit.

"And with other economic indicators from 2010 (growth, unemployment) showing the UK's economy was already considerably healthier than Greece's, the dangers of relying on one set of data to prove the government's case are clear."

tweets, external: I gather it's an all-women shortlist for Tory candidate in #Eddisbury which includes @ASandbachAM . Names expected tomorrow. @ConHome

Channel 4

Sonia Sodha, former advisor to Ed Miliband, tells Channel 4 News what she calls the reined-back state under George Osborne's spending plans is "not the kind of country I want to live in".

"Three quarters of welfare cuts have happened to families that are in jobs, in work", she continues.

tweets, external: Janice Atkinson suspension. Ukip seems to have rather higher attrition rate amongst its MEPs & parliamentary candidates than other parties